1. Hazing vs. Traditions B. Elliot Hopkins and Kevin Horrigan

2. History of Hazing Traced back to the Middle Ages
Craftsmen unionized to protect jobs and control the marketplace and knowledge
Created Guilds (i.e. goldsmithing school)
Became the model for modern day groups
College fraternal organizations, secret societies, voluntary organizations in the US began in the 1800’s

3. History of Hazing
Secret societies (Masons, Kiwanis, DeMolay International)
Separatist
Exclusionary
1904
40%-50% of US high schools had at least one fraternity
more social than educational

4. History of Hazing
School boards found the fraternities and secret societies to be detrimental to the educational purpose and began to ban them from high schools
By the 1960’s most US high schools had eliminated fraternities, sororities, and secret societies but not the rituals, passwords, symbols, and special handshakes (Guynn and Aquila)

5. Definition of Hazing
“hazing is a process by groups who maintain a hierarchy, repeats a tradition, has developed a process and is conducted with the intention of bringing the prospective new members closer to the existing group.”

6. Definition of Hazing
“The veteran members typically, act in secrecy away from adult supervision and from the school property. Regardless, of the victim's consent, the rituals or traditions require individuals to participate in activities that are physically, psychologically, exhausting, humiliating, demeaning, disrespectful, intimidating, and stressful.”

7. Hazing Belief Systems
Tradition
Attitude
Process
Context

8. Hazing Belief Systems Tradition Attitude
History of process and acceptance
Attitude
Assigns the rights and responsibilities to team/group members

9. Hazing Belief Systems Process Context Proving worth/acceptance
Winnowing out who will not represent or maintain group’s culture/tradition
Context
Validate group’s belief system
Stronger, better, attain more status
Everybody wants to be a part of something

10. Suggestions
Understand the school district’s anti- bullying/hazing policy.
Be available for the members of your team/group to listen and react to their concerns.
Create an environment of trust, respect, and sincere concern.
Observe, Observe, then Observe some more

11. Suggestions Explain leadership responsibilities to your coaches.
Explain your position on bullying/hazing and the consequences.
Set and communicate team rules.
Define any special privileges that upperclassmen receive on the team or group.
Explain that such privileges come with responsibility for appropriate behavior!!!

12. Suggestions Openly discuss the group dynamic.
Send a clear message that you will not tolerate any bullying or hazing in school.
Establish and maintain open communications between the students, parents, school administration, and community.

13. Suggestions Eliminate any old traditions with questionable practices.
Lead the team/group in developing new traditions that involve hard work for positive and desirable results. Some examples:

14. Suggestions
Adopt a middle school and put on a clinic or exhibition for the younger students.
Assign an older team/group member to be a “buddy” with a younger or newer member.
Create a “Run-A-Thon”, “Read-A-Thon” or “Push-Up-A-Thon” and have sponsors donate money for every mile ran, book read, or push-up made.

15. Suggestions Participate in a Ropes Course or Team trip
Preseason Team Activities
Adopt a local charity and dedicate a game or contest to that group.
Participate in team dinners and/or sleep- overs.
Dress up for team functions or for away contests.

16. Thank you B. Elliot Hopkins, MLD, CAA - ehopkins@nfhs.org
Kevin Horrigan, CMAA –